Shinnston Man Arrested in White Oaks, Fairmont Bank Robberies

Fairmont Police are investigating a bank robbery at Wes Banco in Fairmont. Police were called to the scene at approximately 10:12 a.m. Thursday near Marion Square after a man entered the bank with a knife and told the bank tellers there was a bomb outside of the bank, said the Fairmont Police Department.

After leaving the bank with an unknown amount of cash, West Virginia State Police Corporal John McDougal located the man's car, a blue Ford Taurus just seven minutes after the robbery near Little Vegas on Route 19. Fairmont Police Chief Kelley Moran identified the man as William "Billy" Arney Amos, 34, of Shinnston. Police located the knife and mask used in the robbery in Amos' possession. A K9 unit cleared the bank and the surrounding area of explosives. Trooper McDougal told 12 News that Amos admitted to robbing the Wes Banco following the traffic stop on Amos' vehicle. The money Amos took from the bank was recovered by police and he is charged with first degree robbery of a bank and false reports of bombs or other explosive devices, according to a news release from Fairmont Police.

The Huntington Bank at White Oaks in Harrison County was robbed on Monday, July 7. The vehicle used in that robbery was described by Bridgeport Police as a "light blue Buick style vehicle". Due to the similarity of the vehicles involved in the robberies, The Bridgeport Police Department was notified and questioned Amos. Information gathered by detectives indicated that Amos was responsible for the July 7 Huntington Bank Robbery, said police. He is charged with first degree robbery in the case.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigations responded to the scene, along with Bridgeport Police. The investigation is ongoing. If you have information, contact Detective Hudson at 304-366-2217.

Amos is being held in North Central Regional Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.